OK folks, a real-time tasting note. I’m off early in the morning, but for some inexplicable reason I thought it would be a good idea to open a bottle of…
In Lisbon with the young winemakers of Portugal
So I was in Lisbon. For one night only. The occasion? The ‘Young Winemakers’ tasting. Vadio, Conceito, Hobby, Clip and Carmelao are five young-ish Portuguese producers (with six winemakers in…
A lovely affordable Douro red from Churchill
Very impressed by this 2011 Douro red from Churchill. It’s not expensive, but it offers a real taste of the region, combining ripeness with definition. It’s stocked by Majestic and…
The wine boats of the Douro, a film from 1923
Just stumbled on this on YouTube. It’s a film dating from 1923 showing the wine boats of the Douro bringing the wine down river to Porto. This rabelos would have…
At the New Douro tasting, with some of Portugal’s finest
Today’s New Douro tasting was remarkable. Five new producers have joined the ND fold, so the tasting expanded to take in two rooms at the Portuguese Ambassador’s residence in Belgrave…
Quinta do Judeu red and white from Portugal’s Douro
As you all know by now, I am a big fan of Portuguese wines, and particularly of the Douro region. It is such a cool place. Of late, I have…
Mirabilis, a serious new Douro wine
This is a new wine from Douro property Quinta Nova, which I visited back in March 2010. It’s made from old vines (interestingly, not Touriga Nacional, the celebrity grape, which…
The cedar is the essence of Douro
I’ve enjoyed drinking this wine over the last two evenings. It’s the ‘second’ wine of Douro star property Quinta do Noval, and I think it’s a really good wine in…
More fun in Portugal, and the Portuguese Cloudy Bay
We’ve had some fun this week. On Wednesday, all three families spent the afternoon on boats. The adults went out on a 53 ft Sunseeker, while the kids were on…